French people love Los Angeles. And often very famous French people go to live there and remain under the radar (Michel Polnareff has been known to wander around Palm Springs all but unnoticed). One of the most powerful French persons to move to LA lately is David Martinon. He is the former spokesperson to French prez Nicolas Sarkozy. After a disastrous bid for the position of Mayor of Neuilly, in 2007, however, Martinon resigned and was quickly reassigned…5,661 miles away. But the still-young politico seems to enjoy his Beverly Hills digs…and political watchers are all wondering what his next move will be. I was honored to spend time with Martinon at work at in his home. From my article in the March issue of Los Angeles magazine:

His assignment is a big step down, but Hollywood might offer more promise for the future. He’s young and smart—and, coincidentally, his wife worked in television before the move. “He’s the kind of guy who can do almost anything,” says Mike Medavoy, chairman of Phoenix Pictures. Medavoy is one of several Industry executives to whom Martinon has awarded the Legion d’Honneur, the French government’s highest decoration. [...] Martinon’s generosity with medals for movie people isn’t the only evidence of his crush on Hollywood. “In the months I have been here,” he says, “I’ve experienced how very interesting life could be. I could consider staying here.”

Here’s the rest of the article about Martinon’s transition to life abroad and his plans to improve Franco-American relations.

Portrait by Gregg Segal courtesy of Los Angeles magazine